When she was little, Swopnil and her dad grew apart. Last year, a college essay brought them back together.

Swopnil Shrestha is a senior educational studies and political science major from Farmington, Minnesota.

Jazmin was always really proud of her Spanish-speaking church. There was only one problem: She couldn’t speak Spanish.

Jazmin Barcenas is a junior Linguistics major from just outside Salt Lake City, Utah.

One summer, Dat saw his first movie in theaters. It was the first time he felt truly happy.

Dat Nguyen is a junior Environmental Studies major from Wichita, Kansas.

As an older sibling, Shania spent a lot of time babysitting her little sister. But she didn’t realize how important that job was until one summer in Jamaica.

Shania Russell is a senior Media and Cultural Studies major from the Bronx in New York City.

Growing up, Juan never saw his name as anything special. A conversation with his high school librarian changed his mind.

Juan Galicia-Diaz is a junior Political Science major from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Family. Identity. Loss. Joy. These are the little stories that make us who we are. Voices of color at a predominantly white institution. New episodes every weekday, starting March 15th.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @herewearepod.